18 
BOW DITCH ISLAND. 
There was no sign of places for cooking, nor any appearance of fire, 
and it is believed that all their provisions are eaten raw. What 
strengthened this opinion, was the alarm the natives felt when they 
saw the sparks emanating from the flint and steel, and the emission of 
smoke from the mouths of those who were smoking cigars. 
Dip and intensity observations were made here. 
Upon reaching the ship, Captain Hudson determined to bear away 
for the situation of the island of the Gente Hermosas of Quiros. 
They had reached the vicinity on the 31st of January, where they 
searched until the following day, when they made land, but were 
unable to finish the survey of the island for four days. Boats were 
sent to effect a landing, but the surf was found to be too heavy, and 
one that approached too near was caught in the rollers and thrown on 
the coral reef, fortunately without harm to any of the crew; the boat, 
however, was somewhat injured. 
The position of this island is in longitude 170° 55' 15" W., and 
latitude 11° 05' S.; it is of coral formation, but has no lagoon; it is 
nearly round, and four miles and three-tenths in circumference; it 
may be classed w T ith the high coral islands, and is elevated from 
fifteen to twenty-five feet above the level of the sea; it is well wooded 
with cocoa-nuts, pandanus, and other trees and shrubs. The sea 
breaks constantly on all parts, and no safe landing exists. Its situa¬ 
tion differs from the position laid down for that of Quiros. Captain 
Hudson therefore called it Swain’s Island, after the master of a 
w^haler, who had informed him of its existence. When within a mile 
of the island, no bottom could be had with two hundred fathoms of 
line. This isolated spot gave no other evidence of its ever having 
been inhabited, except the groves of cocoa-nut trees. Pigeons, similar 
to those seen at the Samoan Group, were observed. 
After securing observations for its position, the vessels bore away 
for Upolu, with the westerly breeze, which had continued for the last 
eight days, and been almost constant. This will serve to show that 
there is no real difficulty in the population of Polynesia migrating 
from west to east during this season of the year, when the trade-winds 
are almost entirely interrupted. 
Until the 4th of February they had bad weather, and heavy squalls 
accompanied with thunder and lightning. 
On the 5th of February, the mountains of Savaii w r ere dimly 
visible, although they were between fifty and sixty miles oft'. On 
the 6th, they were off the island of Upolu, when Captain Hudson, 
to lose no time, despatched the tender, with two boats, to survey the 
south side of the island, while the launch, with the first cutter, w r as 
